Live Nation Employees Expose Shocking Parking Fees: ‘Robbing Them Blind’

“Robbing them blind, baby... that’s how we do it.”

A Live Nation Entertainment employee's candid remark about concertgoers paying upwards of $50 for parking has surfaced in internal communications revealed in court on Wednesday. The messages, which have sparked outrage, were disclosed just days after a perplexing settlement was reached by the Trump Justice Department to resolve its antitrust lawsuit against the entertainment giant, mere days into the trial in New York.

Accusations against Live Nation include illegal monopolization of “nearly all live music” in the U.S., with claims that the company threatened venues that did not exclusively use its controversial ticketing arm, Ticketmaster. The Slack exchanges from 2022 between Ben Baker and Jeff Weinhold, both regional ticketing directors at the time, paint a picture of a company seemingly intent on extracting maximum revenue from concertgoers.

Baker boasted about charging $50 for parking on grass and $60 for closer spots, exclaiming, “I gouge them on ancil[lary] prices.” His enthusiasm for the hefty fees was palpable, as he later reiterated, “robbing them blind baby.”

Weinhold’s response? A simple “lol,” indicating a shared amusement over the situation.

In response to the fallout, Live Nation stated it would “look into the matter promptly.” Both Baker and Weinhold remain employed by the company, according to court documents. The company distanced itself from the Slack conversation, asserting that it does not reflect their operational values. “This was a private Slack message; leadership learned of this when the public did,” they claimed.

Live Nation had previously attempted to keep these messages from public scrutiny, arguing they were “irrelevant” and could lead to “unfair prejudice and jury confusion.” They characterized the exchanges as informal banter between friends rather than indicative of company policy or decision-making.

Baker was anticipated to testify this week before the company reached a settlement with the Trump administration. The antitrust lawsuit, initially filed in 2024 under the Biden administration, saw more than two dozen states joining forces with the Justice Department. The mid-trial agreement reportedly caught state attorneys general off guard.

As part of the settlement, Live Nation has committed to capping ticketing service fees at 15% and divesting from 13 exclusive ticketing agreements with amphitheaters.